Bread basics

Bread has been a part of human history for at least 30,000 years, dating back to prehistoric Upper Paleolithic Europe.  The earliest versions of bread were unleavened, meaning that they were flat, cracker-type breads made without yeast.  Wheat and barley were two of the first domesticated grains and were grown in the region of biblical lands known as the Fertile Crescent more than 10,000 years ago.  The first evidence of the use of yeast for bread baking and for brewing ale came from Egypt in 4000 BC.  In fact, according to the book Food In History by Reay Tannahill, it seems that the discovery of ale was stimulated by the process of bread baking.  So if you like beer, you have bread to thank.

When I was a kid, my mom baked bread in a bread machine from freshly ground wheat that she ground in her wheat grinder.  The incredible smell that overtook the house when bread was baking is hard to forget, and I still think there are few things better than a warm piece of buttered bread fresh from the oven.  I have been wanting to bake my own bread for a while now, but have been a little intimidated by the process.  I had the false impression that it was a complicated process that needed to be done perfectly in order to be any good.  A co-worker recently told me that she and her kids baked bread together all the time and insisted that if her kids could do it, I could do it.  I wondered how I would know if I was kneading it too much or too little, and she said that her kids often "kneaded it to death" and it still came out just fine.

She shared her favorite french bread recipe with me, which came from a book by James Beard called Beard On Bread. Another friend recently took a bread baking class with French Chef Robert Barral, who is the former executive chef at the famous New England Culinary Institute and now runs the very popular Cafe Provence in Brandon, VT.  She was generous enough to share a recipe they made in class for Oatmeal Wheat bread.  Armed with two fantastic recipes and some encouragement, I decided to tackle my fear of bread baking.  I put on some music got to work.


Chef Barral's Oatmeal Wheat Bread

2 C whole milk
1 C old-fashioned rolled oats (plus more for topping)

1/2 C warm water (105-115 F)
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 C honey
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
plus a little extra for buttering bowl and loaf pans
3 C stone-ground whole wheat flour
2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 lg egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Heat milk in a medium saucepan over low heat until hot, but not boiling.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in oats.  Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally until cooled to warm.

Stir together water, yeast, and 1 tsp honey in a small bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  This is called proofing the yeast and is a way to make sure that the yeast is still live and active.  If the  mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.  If the yeast is no longer active, your bread won't rise.  If the yeast mixture foams properly, proceed by mixing it with the melted butter, remaining honey, and the cooled oatmeal.

Stir together whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, and salt in a large bowl.  I am using some fantastic local flours that I want to tell you about quickly.  The whole wheat flour I am using comes from Gleason Grains in Bridport, VT.  Ben Gleason has been growing organic wheat on his family-run farm in Vermont for 30 years!  Ben delivers the flour in 50 lb bags to our co-op every week, fresh from the mill, and many insist it is the freshest flour available.   The organic all purpose white flour I am using comes from Nitty Gritty Grain in Charlotte, VT, which is another fantastic, local, organic family farm.

After combining the flours and salt, add it to the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.  Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead with floured hands, adding just enough of the remaining AP flour to keep the dough from sticking.  Continue kneading until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, then transfer to a large buttered bowl.  Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.  Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Lightly butter two loaf pans.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove the air.  Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.  Place a loaf in each buttered pan, tucking ends gently to fit.  Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Put oven rack in middle position an heat to 375 F.  Lightly brush the tops of each loaf with some of the egg wash and then sprinkle with oats.  Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes.  Remove bread from the pans and transfer to a rack until they cool.
 

James Beard's French Bread

1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 C warm water (100-115 F)
1 Tbsp salt
5-6 C flour (all-purpose and whole wheat) 
3 Tbsp cornmeal
1 egg white beaten with 1 Tbsp water 

Combine yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl and proof it for 5 minutes until it gets foamy.  Mix salt with your flour blend.  I used a combo of 3 1/2 cups Nitty Gritty all purpose white with  2 cups Gleason's whole wheat stone ground bread flour.  Add it to the yeast mixture one cup at a time until the dough is stiff.  Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky.  Place it in a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, place it in a warm space free of drafts and let it rise until it doubles in bulk (1 1/2- 2 hours).  Punch down the dough then shape it into two loaves.  Place to loaves on a baking sheet sprinkled with corneal and slash each loaf diagonally with a knife.  Brush the loaf tops with the egg wash and place in a cold oven.  Bake at 400 F for 35 minutes. 

I think that the flavor and texture of both of these breads turned out great for my first attempt, and I hear from much more experienced bread bakers that loaf texture will just get better and better with practice.  Also keep in mind that bread freezes beautifully so if you are only baking for two, like I am, just place the extra loaves in freezer-safe packaging and freeze until you need them.  Another thing I love about bread is that even when it gets a little stale, you can use it to make your own croutons or bread crumbs with minimal effort.  Just toast it, cube it (for croutons) or use a food processor to turn it into crumbs, toss it in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and spices, and keep in an airtight jar.  You can serve the croutons on salads or soups and you can use the bread crumbs to make a delicious crust on things like casseroles, meats, or slices of squash or eggplant. 

Ode to a Meyer Lemon

Even though I am beyond thankful to have a freezer full of our own fruits and vegetables to select from this time of year, I still find myself craving fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter months.  That's why I was so thrilled to receive a box of fresh, home-grown Meyer lemons in the mail last week.  This generous gift came from my Aunt Janet, who lives in Arizona where Meyer lemons are in-season right now.  This particular variety of lemon is actually a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin orange.  They have thinner skin and a sweeter, more floral taste.  My foolish attempt at growing Meyer lemons in VT resulted in lots of incredibly fragrant blossoms, but failed to yield a single fruit, so I'm excited to finally have some.  My imagination has been running wild with ways to use my cache of lemons and a recent article in the LA Times outlining 100 things to do with a Meyer lemon provided some inspiration.
The #1 suggestion on the list was to make Meyer Lemonade.  Coming in at #2 was a recipe for Cornish game hens with Meyer lemons, olives, and fennel, which I then used to inspire a similar dish of my own creation:  Chicken Linguine with Meyer lemons, fennel, capers, and olives.  Keep in mind that even if you don't have Meyer lemons, you can make both of these recipes with any type of lemon.  Here is how to make them:

Meyer Lemonade

6 Meyer Lemons
6 cups boiling water
1-2 cups of sugar or honey
3 cups cold water
2 half-gallon Ball jars

Begin by cutting each of the lemons in half and use a hand-held juicer to squeeze the juice and pulp from each into the two jars.  No juicing tool?  No problem.  Just squeeze as much of the juice as you can from each lemon into the two jars.  After squeezing in the juice and most of the pulp, throw the remaining lemons into the jars.  There should be 6 lemon halves in each jar.  Heat 6 cups of water in a pot on the stove until boiling.  Remove from heat and mix in 1-2 cups of honey or sugar, depending on how sweet you like it, and stir until dissolved.  Pour 3 cups of the hot liquid over the lemons in each jar and let sit for 5 minutes.  Top off each jar with cold water and stir.  Refrigerate until fully chilled and enjoy a tall, refreshing glass full with a fresh wedge of lemon.

Chicken Linguine with Meyer Lemons, Olives, Capers, and Fennel

2-4 pieces of bone-in chicken

(I used 4 chicken thighs)

Linguine pasta

2 Meyer lemons

1 medium fennel bulb

3/4 cups of green olives with Provencal herbs

1 Tbsp capers

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

Splash white wine

1/4 cup whole milk or cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

Fresh grated Parmesan or Romano

Heat the oven to 375 F.  Slice the fennel bulb into thin rings and lay it into the bottom of a 9 X 9 baking dish.  Next, slice the olives and garlic into thin slices and sprinkle all but 3 Tbsp of them onto the fennel in the baking dish.  I used green olives that came marinated in Provencal herbs.  If you aren't able to find these, just use any green olives and add some dried Herbes de Provence to the dish.  Herbes de Provence is a blend of French culinary herbs including some combination of basil, savory, fennel, thyme, and lavender.  Next, slice the lemons thin and and layer all but a few of them over the top of the fennel, olives, and garlic in the baking dish.  Sprinkle the capers into the dish, then drizzle the dish with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper.  Toss gently.  Sprinkle each piece of chicken with salt and pepper, then use 2 Tbs of the reserved garlic and olives and push a bit of them under the skin of each piece of chicken.  Lay a lemon slice over each piece of chicken and then lay the chicken on top of the vegetables in your casserole dish.  Drizzle the whole dish with olive oil and bake for 45 min- 1hour, depending on the cut of chicken you use, until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165 F.  About 10-15 minutes before your chicken is done, pour a generous splash of white wine into the casserole dish.   

When the chicken is done, remove the dish from the oven and set aside.  Boil the linguine according to package directions, strain, and set aside.  In the warm pot that you boiled your pasta in, add the 1 Tbsp of butter and melt it.  Then add the final remaining Tbsp of reserved garlic and olives to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in a splash of the white wine and cook an additional minute or two.  Next, use a baster or large spoon to draw about 1/4 cup of the broth from the bottom of your chicken dish and add it to the pot along with the 1/4 cup of milk or cream.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes and add the cooked pasta.  Toss to coat.  Now remove the fennel, olives, capers and garlic from the casserole dish and toss in the pot with the pasta.  You can either serve the chicken pieces whole with the pasta on the side, or remove it from the bone, shred it, and and toss it into the pasta.  If it's too dry, add a bit more milk and broth from the casserole dish.  Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a fine grating of Parmesan or Romano cheese and prepare to be wowed.  This recipe is a keeper!

Black-eyed Peas, Collards, & Cornbread

Collards, cornbread, and peas with black eyes will make your New Year healthy, wealthy, and wise.  Or at least that's how the saying goes in the south this time of year.  I love celebrating food traditions and that was the traditional meal at my house growing up in Alabama.  Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s has been considered good luck for at least 1,500 years, beginning as a Jewish custom first appearing in written history around 500 AD where black-eyed peas were consumed in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Sephardic Jews, who migrated to Georgia in the 1730's, brought the tradition to the south and the tradition spread after the Civil War. The Northern Army destroyed or stole many of the crops of the south land, but considered the black-eyed peas to be suitable only for animal feed and left it alone.  This made the black-eyed pea a humble, but incredibly important source of nourishment for the surviving Confederates.  These days, the dish is consumed to bring luck and prosperity to the New Year with the collards symbolic of money, the peas as coins, and the cornbread said to represent gold.  I mostly just like to eat it because it wouldn't feel like New Year's day without it.

I let the dried black-eyed peas soak all day while I took down the Christmas decorations, reflected on this past year, and thought about my hopes for the new year ahead.  Once all the peas had plumped and I picked out the occasional bad ones that floated to the top, I gave them a final rinse and gathered the rest of my ingredients.  Here is what I will need to make this southern New Year's specialty:

Black-Eyed Peas:


3 cups black-eyed peas, soaked and rinsed
1 lg onion, chopped
2 small shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 smoked ham bone
6-8 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2 cups cooked ham, chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or stock pot.  Add the onion, shallots, and garlic and cook over medium heat until the onions turn translucent.  Then add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, water, and the ham bone to the pot.  I used the leftover ham bone from our Christmas ham.  I chopped the remaining ham off the bone and set it aside to add later, once the peas are cooked.    Let the peas simmer, uncovered, for about an hour or until the peas are soft.  Add the two cups of cooked rice and the chopped ham.  Simmer another minute or so then serve with the cornbread and the collards.



Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread:

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 425 F and place a 12 inch cast iron skillet in the oven to get it hot.  Meanwhile, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Next, whisk in the milk, buttermilk, eggs, and all but two tablespoons of the melted butter.  Once the oven is preheated, remove the skillet and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.  Coat the skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then pour in the cornmeal batter.  Cook at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.  The edges should be golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center should come out clean.  Let the cornbread sit for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Collard Greens

10-12 collard greens
3 strips bacon
6-8 cups water
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

Cook the three strips of bacon in the dutch oven or stock pot.  Remove the bacon and set aside for later.  Allow the bacon grease to cool a bit.  Add the water,pepper, red pepper flakes, and a generous portion of salt and bring to a rolling boil.  Cut the stems out of each of the greens and then cut each leaf into two or three pieces.  Add them to the boiling water and boil for 15-20 minutes or until the greens soften.  Ladle out the greens and a good portion of the stock into bowls, then crumble the bacon on top of each portion.  Be sure to have enough of the stock to crumble your cornbread into after you have eaten the greens.  This is called the pot liquor and is the best  part of the whole dish, if you ask me.

This meal is traditionally served just after midnight New Year's Eve or as the main meal on New Year's Day, but we went ahead and had ours for dinner on the Eve and will have the leftovers tomorrow.  This is one of those meals where the leftovers are even better than the original.  I wish everyone a very happy New Year filled with peace, love, joy, and plenty of good food!

Pasta Sauce and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

In August and September, when I am canning tomatoes with all the windows open and the fan on, struggling to keep cool in a cabin without air conditioning, I daydream about the winter days when I will pull a jar of tomatoes out of the pantry to make a warm winter dish.  Now those winter days are here and I'm using my jar of tomatoes to make a simple pasta sauce.  I don't always make the sauce the exact same way.  It depends on what ingredients I have on hand and whether or not I want to add meat.  Today I'm keeping it meatless so that I can make one of Brad's favorite meals:  ricotta stuffed shells.  Brad is a dedicated carnivore and rarely loves a meal that doesn't have meat, so I think the fact that he considers this one of his favorites speaks volumes about how delicious this dish is.  I was a vegetarian for several years when Brad and I first met and now I try to only eat meat sparingly, so I jump at the chance to make a meatless meal that both of us will like.  I begin by assembling my ingredients and turning on some music.  Here is what I will need:

Basic Pasta Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small shallots, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of chopped Crimini mushrooms
1 jar tomatoes (or 1 16 oz. can)
8 oz tomato paste
1 Parmesan or Romano rind (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, shallots, carrots, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and spices.  If I had fresh spices, I would most certainly use them, but this time of year I settle for dried.  Also, if you can't find crimini mushrooms, white button mushrooms will work fine.  I just like the slightly stronger flavor of the criminis, which are actually baby portabellas.  Cook for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring, until the onions begin to turn translucent.  Add the garlic and cook an additional minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and the Parmesan or Romano rind.  I happen to have a rind of Peccorino Romano, which is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a great salty, nutty flavor.  The rind is completely edible, but not exactly palatable on its own, so a good way to use it is to drop it into a soup or sauce such as this one.  It helps to thicken it and imparts a delicious flavor.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20- 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If I were pouring the sauce over pasta, I would leave it chunky, but since I am using it in my stuffed shells dish, I use an emulsion blender to puree it until it is smooth.

Next I will assemble the ingredients for the ricotta stuffed shells.  Here is what I will need:

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells
16 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
2-3 cups spinach
4-6 cups pasta sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Begin by boiling your pasta according to the package directions.  While pasta is boiling, set a steamer basket or strainer over the pot of boiling water and place the spinach in the basket.  Allow the spinach to steam until it wilts.  Remove from the basket, press into the strainer to squeeze out most of the excess water and chop the steamed spinach. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse it in cold water.  Set aside.
Pour your ricotta cheese in a medium bowl.  I love to use Maplebrook Ricotta from Bennington, VT.  It won  3rd place in the ricotta category from the American Cheese Society in 2012 and I can certainly see why.  It's delicious!  Add the chopped spinach, beaten egg, spices, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to the ricotta.  Next, spread a thin layer of your sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish.  Stuff each jumbo shell with a big spoonful of the ricotta mixture and place in rows in your dish.  Once all shells are stuffed and the dish is full, pour the remaining sauce over the top of the shells.  Then, take your fresh mozzarella and slice it into thin slices.  If you are using aged mozzarella, grate it instead.  I find that the fresh mozzarella turns a bit mushy when grated and is better when sliced.  The final step is to grate a little more of the Parmesan or Romano cheese over the top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Aromatherapy Ornaments and Jambalaya

I love the way a certain scent can bring back a memory or take you back to a time long since past.  Cinnamon, cloves, citrus, balsam fir:  these are the scents that make me think of the holiday season.  They bring back memories of making Christmas cookies with my family, memories of decorating the tree together, and of meals together on Christmas Eve.  Our tree brings a great balsam fir smell to the house, and these aromatherapy ornaments I am making today will hopefully bring the other scents together.
Aside from the great smell, I also like the idea of making these ornaments because it reminds me of making Christmas ornaments with my mom.  I remember making lace snowflakes and bright red felt cardinals.  These homemade ornaments are always so much more meaningful than the store bought ones when you pull them out of the box each year to hang them.  The ornament recipe comes from Aura Cacia, a company that makes aromatherapy products.  I work  in the health & wellness department of a natural foods co-op and we sell Aura Cacia products, so they sent us these recipes to hand out during the holidays.  The recipes included some for holiday home fragrances and this recipe for aromatherapy ornaments.  With my Blue Yule album on, I gathered my supplies and got to work. 

Spicy Aromatherapy Tree Ornaments

1 cup ground cloves
1 cup cinnamon powder
2 cups applesauce
2 tsp craft glue (I used Elmers)
toothpick
ribbon
10 drops of clove bud essential oil
10 drops of cinnamon essential oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
cookie cutters

Combine clove and cinnamon powder.  Add the essential oils and the vanilla.  Mix well, then add applesauce and glue to form a dough.  If the dough is too wet, add more spices.  If too dry, add more applesauce.  Roll out the dough on a dry counter top until about 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes.  Use the toothpick to make a hole for the ribbon.  The recipe then says to bake in the oven at 125 F until dry, but the lowest my oven will go is 170 F.  It took them about 2 hours at 170 to get completely dry.  I think it took them an especially long time because I made them a bit too thick.  I was afraid if they were too thin they would be fragile, but in hind sight, I should have made them slightly thinner than these you see in the photo.  Once they are dry, take them out of the oven, cool them, and then attach the ribbons.  Hang them from the tree and let the comfort and joy of the season appeal to all of your senses!  Don't let the scent fool you, though.  These are absolutely not edible.  The recipe points out that the ornaments can be freshened up with a few drops of essential oil in a few weeks if needed. 
  

Now that the ornaments are done, I will move on to making one of my favorite meals for dinner.  Even though I didn't grow up in Louisiana, my dad loved cooking Cajun cuisine, so we ate lots of gumbo, low country boil, etouffee, grillades & grits, and jambalaya.  I didn't always love these meals as much as I do now, which I attribute to my wimpy palate for spicy foods as a kid.  I laugh as I picture my dad saying "I promise I didn't make it too spicy" as the sweat dripped down his face from the bite he just sampled.  The point was that it was supposed to be spicy.  Now I can't get enough of it!  I'm fascinated with Louisiana music, food, and culture and like to think that somewhere deep down, I have a little ragin' cajun in me.  Zydeco music was often playing as dad cooked his Cajun cuisine, so I'm switching my Blue Yule album for one called New Orleans Christmas, and assembling the ingredients for dad's Jambalaya (or at least the way I remember it, since he never writes his recipes down).   

 Jambalaya                                           

1 lb Andouille Sausage
1 16 oz. jar of tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
2 small shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
3 cups chicken broth
1 smoked ham hock (optional)
1 cup shrimp, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp Tabasco pepper sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground allspice
salt & pepper
2 cups white rice

Andouille sausage used to be tough to find in VT, but I was thrilled to recently find some from Vermont Heritage Grazers.  If you absolutely can't find it in your area, you can use Kielbasa, but it won't be quite the same.  I was also able to find some local onions and shallots and it's nice to be able to use our home-canned tomatoes and home-grown garlic.  In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat the oil.  Slice your sausage on a bias into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add the sausage, onions, shallots, bell pepper, jalapeno and celery.  Cook 8 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Now the veggies should all be tender and the onions translucent.  Remove the sausage from the pan, cover it, and set it aside.
Add the chicken broth, smoked ham bone (if using), tomatoes, bay leaf, Tabasco, salt, pepper, thyme, and allspice to the pot.  Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  You can either add the rice now to the pot, or you can cook the rice on the side in your rice cooker.  We always cooked the rice on the side and then spooned the finished Jambalaya over the steaming rice in bowls.  If you add the rice directly to the pot, cover it, and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Finally, add your sausage back to the pot, along with the raw shrimp.  It should only take a minute for the shrimp to cook.  If you cooked your rice separately, spoon it into each of your bowls.  Then spoon the Jambalaya over the rice.  Serve with crusty french bread and with additional Tabasco for those who like it extra spicy.  Enjoy!

Eggnog and Alegria

Thanksgiving is over, holiday decorations are going up all over town, radio stations are playing Christmas music, there is a nip in the air, and a light dusting of snow on the ground.  All signs indicate that the holiday season is upon us and I am loving every minute of it.  I enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the holidays so much that we begin celebrating Christmas as soon as our Thanksgiving feast is over.  On the day before Thanksgiving when we stop by our local forest ranger station to pick up a $5 permit to cut down a Christmas tree.  Then, after we have made ourselves uncomfortably full with turkey and dressing, we bundle up and wander through the Green Mountain National Forest and pick out the perfect Christmas tree.  

walking along a forest road in search of the perfect tree

The permit

This one!

Decorating the tree just isn't as fun without some eggnog.  My friend, Dani,  recently told me how easy and delicious it was to make your own eggnog at home, so I decided to give it a try.  We finally have plenty of eggs now that the chickens are all laying again, so I got out the milk, cream, vanilla and spices; cranked up the Christmas music; and got to work.  Dani warned me that after tasting this egg nog, I might never buy prepared eggnog again.  I think she might be right.  

Eggnog

4 cups milk

5 whole cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

12 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of rum (optional)

4 cups cream (or half and half for a slightly lighter version)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine the milk, cloves, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and cinnamon in a sauce pan.  Heat over low for 5-8 minutes allowing it to come slowly to a very light boil being careful to not scorch the milk.  A double boiler helps, but isn't necessary.  In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat until fluffy.  Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.  Return this mixture to the pan or double boiler and heat gently for 3 minutes on the lowest heat setting, stirring constantly until it thickens.  Do not let it come to a boil.  Pour it into a jar and allow it to cool.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. Next, add the rum (if using), the cream, 2 tsp. of vanilla, and the nutmeg.  Strain out the whole cloves and refrigerate overnight before serving, if you can stand to wait that long.  It does taste a bit better after chilling overnight,  but I couldn't help but give it a taste right away. 

As if the eggnog wasn't decadent enough, I also decided to make some Alegria bars.  My friend, Kat, shared this recipe with me last week and I have been dying to try it.  I would go so far as to call this a healthy dessert since it uses heart-healthy amaranth and pistachios along with some cinnamon and maple syrup.  Amaranth is an ancient cereal grain (actually a pseudograin since it is a plant but is so similar to a grain) that was a staple in the diets of the Incas and the Aztecs.  It is packed with protein, essential amino acids like lysine which is uncommon in other grains, and it's gluten free.   Kat found the recipe in a book called The Splendid Grain by Rebecca Wood, but she made a few changes to that original recipe.  Wood points out in the book that alegria means "joy" in Spanish and that these bars are popular street vendor fare in Mexico and India.  Making them involves first popping the amaranth, which was a lot of fun and made the house smell so amazing.  I had no idea amaranth could even be popped and I decided that it makes a great snack all on its own.  

Alegria                                                      

1 cup of pure maple syrup

1/4 cup of pistachios

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups popped amaranth

Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan or line it with waxed paper.  Heat a large saucepan (not a frying pan or skillet) over high heat until drop of water sizzles in the bottom.  Add the amaranth a few teaspoons at a time.  If you try to pop too much at once, it won't pop and will burn (yep, I tried it, and it burned).  Stir the amaranth and within a few seconds it should begin to pop.   Continue stirring until almost all of the grains are popped.  Pour into a bowl and pop your next batch until you have 1 1/2 cups of popped amaranth.  

popped amaranth

Next, pour the maple syrup into a sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 12 minutes, or until it measures 244 F on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and add the cinnamon and pistachios.  Mix well, then add the popped amaranth.  Pour into the greased or wax-lined pan and press it in evenly.  Allow to cool slightly before cutting, but don't let them cool all the way or they will be more difficult to cut.  These will stay fresh for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.  Ours likely won't last that long.  Yo tengo alegria!

The Season of Thankfulness

The season of thankfulness is upon us and I have an unbelievably long list of things to be thankful for.  The highlights include my family, health, and happiness.  I'm thankful to be wealthy in the things that money can't buy.  I am also thankful to have Thanksgiving day off from work for the first time in 6 years.  I still have to work the day before and the day after Thanksgiving, so a trip home to Alabama was out of the question, but by celebrating in the traditional way that my family always did, I hope to be able to experience the next best thing.  I enjoy this time of year because it is filled with so many great memories.  I also love this time of year because, traditionally, it is a time to celebrate the harvest.  Even though the traditional Thanksgiving holiday is only celebrated in the US and Canada, prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are historically common among nearly all cultures after a harvest season. 
I enjoy celebrating the food traditions of the holidays and for my family, the menu included dad's smoked turkey, grandma's dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, mom's copper carrots, peas, cranberry sauce, rolls and pumpkin pie.  There were additions and variations from year to year, but these were always the core staples that could be counted on.  My grandma's dressing was one of the highlights.  I have tried to replicate her recipe many times, but somehow it just never turns out as good as hers was.  I learned just recently from my cousin, Paula and my aunt, Kathy that the secret is in the cornmeal.  It must be one of two kinds that can only be purchased in Alabama- Pollards or Alabama King.  This cornmeal is white, not yellow, and is ground very fine like flour.  Short of having my brother overnight a package of cornmeal to me, there is no hope of being able to make my grandma's dressing this year, so we will settle for stuffing, instead.  I also ordered a small turkey from Stonewood Farm in Orwell, VT.  My dad's smoked turkey is tough to beat, but since I don't have a smoker I opt to brine it overnight in a 5 gallon bucket and oven roast it.  Here is my brine recipe:

Turkey Brine
 
2 Gallons cold water
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 springs fresh rosemary

If you put your turkey in the bucket and it isn't completely covered with brine, add a little more water.  We store the bucket covered on our front porch since it will stay plenty cold out there.  In warmer climes, you can use a big bag to brine your turkey and keep it in the fridge.  After the turkey has been in the brine overnight, remove it from the bucket, pat it dry, and use a slotted spoon to remove the fruit and herb sprigs from the bucket.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Stuff the turkey with the citrus and herbs plus one quartered onion, and 2 or 3 cloves of crushed garlic.  Rub the turkey all over with butter.  For the first 30 minutes, cook the turkey breast side down and uncovered in your roasting pan.  After 30 minutes, flip the turkey over and continue to cook breast side up, uncovered, until the skin begins to turn light gold.  At this point, tent the turkey with foil and continue to cook until the temperature in the breast reads between 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit.  For a small turkey, the total time will be somewhere around 3 1/2 hours. A final crucial step to maintaining juiciness is to allow the turkey to rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

our turkey last Thanksgiving

In the spirit of celebrating the harvest we will also include as many things from the garden as possible.  Brad will make his famous mashed potatoes with stored potatoes from our garden and I will pull a bag of our garden green beans and our pumpkin puree from the freezer.  I like to keep the green beans simple with just a little butter, salt, and pepper in a pan.  With the pumpkin puree, I will whip up a fresh pumpkin pie.

Rattlesnake Pole Bean Blossom

Rattlesnake Pole Beans

Blanched Rattlesnake Pole Beans ready for the freezer

Potatoes ready for mashing

Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter
1/4 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the chilled butter and work it with your hands until it resembles course sand.  Add the water a tablespoon at a time until you can form the dough into a ball.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Roll out the dough and lay it into a 9 inch pie plate being sure to press it into the bottom and corners of the pan.  Use a fork to make a decorative edge.  You can also make this a few days before Thanksgiving, put it into your pie plate, and freeze it until Thanksgiving morning.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

15 ounces of fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In one bowl, combine the sugar and the spices.  In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Mix well then add the eggs, then the spice mixture, and then the cream.  Pour into your pie crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking until the center is set.  About 40-50 minutes.  I like to place aluminum foil under my pie while it is baking so that if the crust begins to get too brown, I can curl up the edges of the foil to cover just the crust.  That way the pie can continue baking, but your crust won't get too dark.  I like to serve the pie with some fresh whipped, lightly sweetened heavy cream.  My mouth is watering just thinking about this pie!

There is one more exciting part of our harvest this season that we are very thankful for.  On the 18th of November, we finally got our first Araucana egg!  I have been raising these hens since the early spring and, if you read my "Chicken Saga" in an earlier post, you are aware of the many challenges we have had with our hens.  The Araucana hens were supposed to begin laying in October, but never did.  I suspect the delayed laying was a result of the stress and trauma of the predation that was going on, but I don't know that for sure.  They may simply be late bloomers.  Buff, who is older than the Araucanas and who has been laying for more than two years has also been on an egg laying hiatus.  She began laying her beautiful brown eggs again about 2 weeks ago.   I have been checking the nests daily and hoping each time to find my first blue egg (a fun feature of the Araucana breed).  Finally, on November 18th, I found Ginger on a nest and noticed that she didn't go running out into her yard as soon as I opened the door the way she usually does.  I left her alone so as not to disturb her and went out again a few hours later.  I opened the lid to the nesting boxes and there it was.  A beautiful, perfect blue egg!  I will use this egg and the others laid since then to make my pumpkin pie and to brush the tops of my biscuits.

I wish everyone a great day on Thursday!  May we all eat, drink, and be thankful!